1st Grade Spanish Bilingual Teacher

Title: 1st Grade Spanish Bilingual Teacher
Location: CICS Irving Park, 3820 N. Spaulding Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Reports To: Principal
Salary: Starting at $65,000, commensurate with experience
Employee Type: Regular Full Time
Start Date: August 2025

Distinctive Schools creates diverse, joyful, welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning. We support all learners to be engaged, curious, and to achieve their full potential. Our students become confident advocates, creative problem-solvers, and collaborative leaders.

Position Overview

Distinctive teachers cultivate a love for learning in every student through strong relationships, high expectations, and a belief that all students can achieve great things in school and beyond. Teachers have a laser focus on instruction that engages learners and provides multiple opportunities for application of learned content. All teachers engage in individual and team lesson internalization aligned to grade-level standards based on student language proficiency levels. Checks for understanding, student work, and assessments are used to make real-time and planned adjustments and deep review of student work to address gaps in instruction. Teachers have strong content knowledge in the subject-matter they teach in order to recognize, understand and respond to the content problems. At Distinctive, teachers grow through cycles of practice, feedback, practice, and feedback. Teachers build classroom communities with strong routines, rituals, and management practices that maximize time for instruction. Teachers maintain effective and ongoing communication on progress with students and families.

Additionally, the Bilingual Teacher will have a dedicated classroom and provide personalized academic and language instruction to English Learners in both English and the native language (Spanish), sheltered instruction, English Language Development, and ESL strategies across content areas. A Distinctive Schools Bilingual Teacher must be a passionate advocate for biliteracy and demonstrate a commitment to supporting students in their development of the language skills and subject matter needed to be productive classroom citizens.

Responsibilities

Culture

Maintain a student-centered perspective in decision making

Believe that all students can learn and can achieve great things

Contribute to the equity work of the campus and network and engage in culturally responsive decision making

Build and foster a culture of belonging through positive and strong relationships with students, families, and staff

Cultivate a strengths-based, equity focused mindset

Foster positive climate and culture

Serve as a positive role model

Belief that a students’ languages and cultures are a tremendous strength and asset

Preparation, Instruction and Assessment 90%

Implement the DS Academic and Bilingual Model

Administer tests and language assessments for the purpose of evaluating students' language ability

Implement of the WIDA Standards in daily lessons

Analyze culturally & linguistically diverse (CLD) student work

Provide direct Bilingual and ESL services and instruction to a classroom of students

Provide ESL grades for students served

Develop and deliver lesson plans that utilize appropriate instructional techniques that enable Spanish proficient students to overcome barriers that impede equal participation by these students in the district's instructional programs

Deliver Spanish Language Arts and ESL curriculum

Deliver strong Instruction where students hold the cognitive lift and do the thinking during the lesson and are deeply engaged in the learning

Utilize a variety of instructional methodologies and curriculum resources geared specifically towards CLD students

Assist and support the administration of the required English Language Proficiency screeners and assessments

Assist with the administration of the ACCESS test and support administration of state required assessments to CLD learners

Provide consistent opportunities for all students to work on grade-appropriate assignments using the core curriculum, resources, and strategies with frequent checks for understanding

Commit to student-centered, learning that puts every student in the driver’s seat with integration of their needs, strengths and interests into the learning

Maintain inventory of all instructional materials

Maintain accurate and complete records of students' progress and development

Analyze and use assessments that monitor progress to inform and design appropriate response/strategies making adjustments as needed to support students in mastering grade level standards

Assess students daily, weekly, and at the ends of units and analyze assessment data through campus and network wide systems

Assess students' progress, expectations, and goals in the bilingual program

Engage in coaching and mentoring opportunities to improve instructional effectiveness

Participate in all required professional development and meetings

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Principal

Classroom Culture 10%

Celebrate student identities and culture

Maintain an organized and welcoming environment that provides students with a sense of belonging, joy, hope, and safety

Manage strong classroom procedures, routines, and rituals that maximize learning

Build strong relationships with students, families and colleagues

Communicate effectively and frequently with students and families in their preferred language

Has a mindset of using restorative justice approach with discipline and behavior management in alignment with campus and network practices

Collaborate with colleagues to support student growth and achievement

Requirements (minimum)

Education: Bachelor's Degree

Qualifications

Valid Professional Educator License or equivalent in state of employment

Valid Bilingual Spanish Endorsement or equivalent in state of employment

Spanish Proficient in reading, writing, listening, and speaking

Technology demands:

Ability to review and analyze student and campus data from multiple sources

Proficient with cloud based software solutions (such as GoogleSuite)

Ability to learn digital tools and and programs as needed for the position

Travel as required for training, professional development, and collaboration

Commitment to supporting students’ social, emotional and academic development

Physical demands

Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally, the job requires 10% sitting, 50% walking, and 40% standing

Benefits

• 25+ Paid holidays & 10 days PTO annually (in addition to summer break for educators/campus positions)
• 12 weeks family paid leave
• Comprehensive Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• 403b match
  • Fully match up to 3%
  • 50% match up to 5%
• Professional development including tuition reimbursement
• Gym and wellness discounts
• And more

Description Disclaimer: Since no job description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder's responsibility.

EEO:

Distinctive Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law.

Distinctive Schools is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, Distinctive Schools will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact talent@distinctiveschools.org or call 773.828.4191